1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of apparatus for the display of flower pots, and in particular, to pots suspended by wire hangers which are held without the necessity of cutting or drilling into the pot in order to secure the wire hanger to the pot.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wire hangers for pots which do not require drilling or cutting into the pot in order to attached the hanger to the pot are well known. One example directed not to a pot, but to a drip catcher for a pot is shown by Jannoeh, "Drip Catcher Holder for Hanging Baskets," U.S. Pat. No. 1,095,504 (1914). The hanging pot or basket used by Jannoeh is integrally provided with drilled tabs or ears into which the wire hanger is inserted and wound. As best shown in FIG. 1, a drip catcher plate 12 is provided beneath a hanging basket 10. Drip catcher 12 has a rim 13 supported by a ring 14, adapted to fit beneath the rim. In FIG. 2, supporting ring 14 is preferably made of wire and is broken at point 15 so that it may be expanded or contracted to fit drip catchers of varying diameters.
In FIG. 5, ring 14 provides three offsets 16, forming loops which project outwardly and diagonally from the ring. Vertical support members 20 engage the offset loop 16 and provide the support for ring 14. FIG. 2 shows a small piece of tubing 30 in which broken ends of a circular ring 15 are inserted to complete the ring and allow for fine tuning and adjustments in its circumference. Note that the supporting members 20 are secured to the basket 10 as opposed to the hanging wires themselves.
Chessman, "Adjustable Pot Hanger and Plant Lifter," U.S. Pat. No. 770,738 (1904), describes an adjustable pot hanger shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprised of three suspension wires B, C and D, formed with hooks b, c and d on their corresponding ends. The hooks b, c and d engage a corrugated circular support wire A which is wrapped underneath circumference of rim 1' of flower pot 1. The circular corrugated support wire A to which the hanging support hook b, c and d are engaged is a length of corrugated wire which has hooks a and a' oppositely disposed on each end of the body A and integral to the body A as shown in FIG. 2. Hooks a and a' may be interlocked with each other so that body A is formed in its largest dimension. By disengaging hooks a and a', the ends of body A may be overlapped to form a circle of appropriate size at which points hooks a and a' are then engaged against the corrugated body A as best shown in FIG. 2. Hooks a and a' are held in engagement by the tension of body A, which results from the weight of flower pot 1. Chessman's system is adjustable to differing sized flower pots, although the adjusting elements are different than those which you proposed.
Comstock, "Flower Pot Handle," U.S. Pat. No. 1,369,965 (1921), shows in FIG. 1 a flower pot handle utilizing two support arms 16 that extend downwards toward the sides of flower pot 10 at the end of which arm 16 are hooks 17 which engage a flared ring 11 at crimp points 12. Flared ring 11 is wrapped around the circumference of flower pot 10 below the rim of the flower pot. Two diametrically opposed crimp points 12 and flared ring 11 are utilized along circumference of flower pot 10.
Fanan, "Flower Pot Lifting Ring," U.S. Pat. No. 1,793,072 (1931), shows in FIG. 2 a flower pot A supported via an adjustable split ring strap C made of metal or other flexible material. Strap C is wrapped around the circumference of the flower pot such that the ends of the strap overlap, also thereby overlapping the apertures a in the strap. A fastening device b is inserted through a selected aperture a and an underlying overlapped aperture which are then secured thereby defining the circumference of the strap.
Eansor, "Holder for Containers," U.S. Pat. No. 2,086,355 (1937), shows in FIG. 1 an adjustable band 18 used to clamp container 3 to brackets 4 and 5. The means adjustment for band 18 comprises a tab 19 secured to the band and having a button 20 adapted to be inserted into openings 21 to become locked into slots 22.
What is needed is a three-strand wire pot hanger having an adjustable retaining band for providing an interference fit with the body of a flower pot.